A go-karting circuit was launched in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.
The first go-karting zone in the state capital was inaugurated at the Funplex motorsports karting arena circuit near Akkulam bypass. The engineers behind the work are Mithun, Ananthu and Shameem, wrote Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran on Facebook, after inaugurating the place.
The circuit is built on an acre of land, which had been previously lying abandoned. The land was cleared of weeds and tarred to create the racing circuit. Five karts have been made ready for racing purposes. Each kart has a 200 cc engine and a three litre petrol tank. Maximum speed of the carts is 70 km/hour, and has a capacity to carry up to 150 kilos.
People who are aged eight years or above can take part in go-karting, Minister Kadakampally said. Other gaming zones and a restaurant will also be launched, in the hope of attracting techies from the nearby Technopark.
For riding ten laps, the charge is Rs 449 and for five laps it is Rs 349.
Vattiyoorkavu Member of Legislative Assembly VK Prasanth also posted a picture of visiting the circuit and riding a go-kart.
A go-kart or go-cart is an open wheel car which comes in different sizes and shapes. Go-kart racing, which has been around for decades, is often seen as a stepping stone to the more popular Formula One racing. These karts can come at different speeds, some going up to 260 km/hour. However, the karts meant for recreation for public use would generally use lower speeds.
In India too, go-karting has become a popular sport over the years. Recently a 13-year-old girl from Mumbai - Aashi Hanspal - was shortlisted for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)'s programme 'Girls on Track - Rising Stars Project'. The FIA regulates the kart-racing sport.